At this point, Guan Qishen, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His youthful face bore a strong resemblance to that of Guan Fu, but there was a hint of displeasure and sorrow in his voice.
"Xu Xu, that bracelet belongs to Rui Rui. When did you become so greedy?"
Guan Xu Xu clenched her hands at her sides, her expression cold as she heard him continue, "If you obediently give up the spot for Rui Rui, I can convince our parents to let you stay."
Guan Qishen believed he was offering her the best choice, and she should be grateful for it.
Guan Fu also chimed in, "Although you were adopted, I've always treated you like my own daughter. Our Guan family is a respectable one. We wouldn't do something like sending you back to your biological parents without even allowing you to take your belongings. Your biological parents don't have much, so whatever you need, they should take care of."
However, they didn't even mention the bracelet.
At this moment, Guan Rui Rui spoke up, her voice sounding a little pitiful.
"Sister, I know you really want the bracelet, but after all, it's Grandma's. How about this, I can transfer you some money? Will one thousand be enough? If not, I can give you two thousand?"
The implication in her words was clear—she was suggesting that Guan Xu Xu wanted the bracelet just to sell it for money.
Guan Xu Xu shot a cold glance at Guan Rui Rui.
At the moment, Guan Rui Rui flinched under her gaze, clearly startled by her response.
Guan Xu Xu looked at the three of them with indifference and spoke decisively, "I don't need your money, and I don't need you to speak on my behalf to make them let me stay."
In the past, she had tried to gain their approval—learning etiquette, making talismans for them with her own hands, treating them like real family, and doing everything she could to be good to them. Yet, she never received a genuine heart in return.
Not even when she almost died trying to save Guan Rui Rui did she get a single look of concern from them.
This family, she no longer cared for.
When Guan Qishen heard her rejection, his face darkened. He thought she was being ungrateful.
Without the Guan family, what would she do?
White Shuqin, standing in front of Guan Rui Rui, sneered sharply, "Qishen, why are you even bothering to talk to her? Even if she gave up her spot and begged to stay, we wouldn't want her! And she better not even think about taking anything from the Guan family!"
Guan Rui Rui, seizing the moment, stepped forward, her tone feigning sympathy as she said, "Sister, I forgot to tell you earlier, but Pei Gege confessed to me the other day. We're planning to get engaged soon. I know you've always liked Pei Gege, but I still hope you'll bless us."
Guan Xu Xu looked at her smug face, expressionless, and asked coldly, "Who told you I liked him?"
Guan Rui Rui froze, clearly caught off guard by her response.
According to her expectations, Guan Xu Xu should have been heartbroken and fallen to her knees, crying. But instead, Guan Xu Xu looked at her like she was the one who was foolish.
"Although you're blind, I will still bless you. After all, now that the two of you are together, you won't be able to harm anyone else," Guan Xu Xu said with a hint of mockery.
Guan Rui Rui's pupils contracted, her face almost changing.
Guan Xu Xu ignored her and turned to address the rest of the Guan family.
"As for the money you spent raising me, I will repay it. From now on, I have nothing to do with your family."
The Guan family had used her life force to help Guan Rui Rui, but now, Guan Xu Xu was cutting all ties to them. The misfortune she had taken on for Guan Rui Rui would now return to her double-fold.
She would pay back the money, return the favor, and sever the karmic bond. From now on, if she ever took action against the Guan family, she would no longer bear any consequences.
Before leaving, she cast one last glance at the bracelet on Guan Rui Rui's wrist, saying, "You won't be able to keep that bracelet. Soon, I'll make sure you return it to me yourself."
With that, she turned and left the Guan family's villa without a second thought.
White Shuqin stood there, watching her retreating figure, fuming, nearly speechless.
"See? She's just an ungrateful wolf! If it weren't for Rui Rui, I would have kicked her out a long time ago!"
Guan Rui Rui, sensing the tension, comforted her mother, "Sister must have been shocked when she found out she'd be sent back to such a poor place. She probably couldn't accept it right away, so she acted like this. Don't be mad at her, mom."
"You're too kind," White Shuqin said helplessly, glancing at her younger daughter before turning her eyes back to the direction in which Guan Xu Xu had left. She sneered, "She didn't die after that crash, maybe she's possessed by some strange thing. Thankfully, we managed to get rid of her. Who knows what kind of harm she might have caused us if she stayed."
"Alright, enough talking," Guan Fu interrupted in a deep voice, cutting off the conversation.
What the Guan family didn't know was that just as Guan Xu Xu stepped out of the garden gate, the blazing sun above seemed to be covered by dark clouds, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop by two degrees.
In the shadowy corners, there were faint sounds of laughter and whispers.
"She's gone, she's finally gone."
"This house is ours now. Heh, heh."
...
As Guan Xu Xu walked toward the entrance of the villa area, the sun beat down on her, yet there was no sign of sweat on her brow. It was as if her body naturally shielded her from the heat.
She pulled out her phone, which her father, Guan Baocheng, had given her with the contact information for her biological parents. She hadn't contacted them yet, though.
She didn't know much about her biological parents. All she knew was that they lived in a mountainous area, so they were likely not wealthy. The college entrance exams had just ended, and if her biological parents couldn't afford to send her to university, she would figure out how to earn money on her own.
She wasn't worried at all about the possibility of being sold off for marriage when she returned. No one would be able to do that to her.
As she thought, she found the phone number and was about to dial when she heard a sudden loud noise from the nearby helipad.
Looking up, she saw more than a dozen black helicopters slowly descending.
Though the villa area where the Guan family lived wasn't the most luxurious in the city, there were usually plenty of luxury cars around. But seeing a fleet of private helicopters land was something Guan Xu Xu had never witnessed before.
She thought it might be some rich boss in the neighborhood making a scene and was about to leave.
However, as she took a step to the side, the bodyguards descending from the helicopters moved like a military formation, swiftly arranging themselves in two lines right in front of her.
Then, the doors of the central helicopter opened, and a man in a well-tailored dark suit stepped out, his tall, slender frame making him stand out. His sharp features were enhanced by the perfect fit of his suit, and he exuded a noble and elegant air.
He looked at her and slowly walked toward her, speaking in a deep, pleasant voice, "Guan Xu Xu?"
Guan Xu Xu observed the man's familiar features, sensing a slight resemblance to herself. She had an inkling about his identity. "Yes, that's me."
The man glanced at her phone, which was still on the dial screen. He clicked the button for her and then pulled out his own phone. The ringtone rang out, and he held up his phone screen to her, smiling as he said, "Nice to meet you. I'm your brother, Jiang Huai."
Guan Xu Xu: ...
Guan Xu Xu looked up at the handsome "brother" in front of her, then turned her gaze to the helicopters and the well-trained bodyguards and pilots behind him. After a long pause, she finally found her voice.
"I heard... that my parents live in the mountains..."
Her tone implied that this whole scene didn't exactly scream "mountain folk."
Jiang Huai, thinking she was going to say something else, replied, "Our hometown is indeed in the mountains."
He paused for a moment, then added, "But that mountain... belongs to our family."
Guan Xu Xu: ...
So, her biological parents not only weren't poor, but they also owned an entire mountain?
Who even owns a whole mountain? Does the country allow that?